Stress Strain Curve
by aptasi
Summary: It's a profound injury to be taken for granted. Set shortly before Dino Delirium.


Summary: It's a profound injury to be taken for granted. Set shortly before Dino Delirium.

Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.

Content Warning: Self-indulgent fanfiction.

Author's Note: Sara's second to last line is a quote from a Caltech person.

* * *

Sara felt nothing but distilled exhaustion. Three nights, two days, and the first half of a morning, the thrall had worked, with only the most fitful of naps for company. This was what important people called a rush order. Carmen, being quite a few notches above important, had named it a favor. In her own mind, Sara called it weekend-before-a-heist, Sara-I-broke-the-glider-again, or (if Carmen was really in a scathing mood) your-user-interface-is-completely-counterintuitive-and-must-be-henchman-proofed-not-to-blow-up-Senegal. The tired scientist wondered if she shouldn't get around to picking a consistent name for it, since it wasn't exactly a rare phenomenon.

However, illusions must be maintained, and Carmen could carry off the charade flawlessly, leaning down (though she was no taller), speaking softly, and telling the minion that all efforts would be endlessly appreciated. Sometimes the scientist wanted to point out that this performance must be for the benefit of passerby because these little crises were the only times she ever saw Carmen anymore.

Most often, she just wanted her boss to complete the recital so that she could get on with her day. Op amps don't replace themselves. That is unless she was supposed to make a robot to do that too. Better not give the boss any ideas. When did she start calling Carmen the boss anyway? It sounded like a last evil character in a video game. Sara despised that turn of phrase. So why was she using it all of a sudden?

It was finally time for tired workers to have their catnaps, when Carmen waltzed on in for the day. Raising her head, the weary woman asked. "All heist materials ready, boss." Oh blast it. "Where are we going?"

"Oh…" Carmen answered airily, an exultant smile across her face, and her eyes off in the distance. "Here and there." Casually, but with precision, she took hold of Sara's arm and marched her towards the plane hangar.

"Sounds… involved." Sara muttered. "Then what are we doing?"

Carmen flashed her teeth like she hadn't a care in the world. "This lovely little Jurassic Park spinoff," she announced roguishly.

Oh this was going to be a memorable one, alright. "Dinosaurs? You want dinosaurs?" Halfway up the stairs to the jet, Sara nearly fell off.

Scandalous eyes dipped from cobalt (II) to Prussian blue, as Carmen effortlessly caught her lackey below the arm and neatly propelled her into the jet. "Yes indeed." She murmured, half in rapture.

"Here?" Sara grabbed the heist plan summary and skimmed it frantically. "Now?" She was getting worried. "Using data from a single floppy disk?"

"Yes."

"Is that even possible?"

When the master thief sighed, Sara could almost swear she looked sad. "If you doubt it," Carmen said quietly. "You don't understand."

"Well… a little tired so it's possible…" Sara remarked, only to herself, settling into the copilot's seat. After all, impossible was kind of Carmen's thing, but a few days notice on the ridiculous tasks would be nice. Not necessary or anything… but nice.

Unfortunately, Carmen heard. "Well if you're tired Sara, you should sleep."

The scientist sniffed. "I have difficulties with moving airplanes." Also with beets, the spelling of Mississippi, and the entire concept of chirality, but she probably shouldn't bring that up now.

Effortlessly, Carmen kept up the conversation while bringing the vehicle into the air. While watching the controllers, she clarified. "I meant a minimum of five hours."

Incredulously, she formed the words. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

Wasn't it self-evident? "We're on a heist."

Effortlessly sideswiping a cloud, Carmen gave her reply. "Oh you'll be missed, but I'll manage."

"It's a genetics heist." Sara protested. "Who will do the _science_ for you?"

"Oh," Carmen said casually. "I have someone for that."

"You… you got someone else_?" _

"He's a Nobel prize winning biologist." The flippant remark galled. Carmen had a little too much joy in her today, and it wasn't fair. "You'll like him."

"What about me?"

Carmen angled her head "Pardon?"

The scientist inhaled. "I could do it." She was surprised at how vulnerable she felt.

"Oh Sara…" The thief chided mildly. "You are not a geneticist."

Sara's jaw set. "I'm also not an Aeronautics Engineer, but we're on a plane and I built it." She waved her arms, as if to emphasize that they were not falling out of the sky. "You're welcome!"

A few years ago, that would have gotten her boss laughing, so Sara didn't understand why this time Carmen frowned, as if she were dealing with some whiney toddler's temper tantrum. "And you did an excellent job, Sara," she patronized.

That little smirk was a punch in the gut. Back when the company was new, Carmen had given that look to detectives, lackeys, and overenthusiastic engine salesmen, but never to Sara.

"I anticipated that you would enjoy a rest." Carmen mused languidly. "And since the setups are so nicely prepared…"

"You… You're going to let him touch my _instrumentation_?" Sara abruptly felt herself getting slightly hysterical. "Carmen, people _cannot_ be touching my things."

"Sara, it's only standard glassware. You can buy it any number of places." Carmen's voice was placating, but her gaze was still completely on the controls.

"Yes and it's _mine_."

"It's belongs to VILE." Carmen corrected mercilessly. "However, in the interests of your sanity," She conceded dryly. "I will borrow from somewhere else."

Feeling like her throat had been dried over calcium chloride, Sara croaked. "Thank you."

Carmen didn't seem to be paying much attention. "If you agree to a much-needed long weekend, that is."

"You want me to take a _vacation_?" She was simultaneously appalled and frightened, causing the last word to exit her mouth shrilly.

Suggestion that Sara's confusion was not entirely reasonable, Carmen announced primly. "You're upset and tired, so you should rest. You can't scream at people today, Sara. I do need to be taken seriously, after all."

That hurt, but fortunately, Sara was too tired to get the full effect. Soon enough, she would discover that loyalty was a bimodal switch for her, a yes or no thing, but it wouldn't be now. Today, Sara still had some devotion left. "Well then…" She swallowed. "You two have fun."

At least now, she could finally take a nap.


End file.
